Caffe Grazie

I walk by this place every morning going to work and I occasionally stop in for breakfast and come back for a lunch once in a while. First let me say this. I enjoy waiting for my food, even though it’s not very long, because of all the art in there. It is easy to see that the artist, who happens to work there, really loves New York. I mean it oozes out of his creations! I love out! But now for the food! Lol. Caffe Grazie is absolutely an affordable and delish place to eat. I often order the Eggs Benedict (traditional) and it comes out to under $ 6 with hefty portions! If I had any self control what so ever I could probably get 2 small meals out of it. I’ve tried their Chicken Breast Panini which was delicious too! Their house dressing is really good! Give them a taste next time you are in or around downtown!

The people in my office really like this place. I’ve only had one thing from this place. It as a special — cheeseburger with chili and rice. It was A-​Ok — not fantastic, but certainly not terrible. I went back another time to get Chicken Parmesan which was another special. Sadly, I stood in line only to find out that they had sold out. They really should have sent a worker out to wipe it from the special board once they sold their last serving!
As for how this place looks… oh gosh is it scary! There are all these strange mannequins that I fear are going to come alive and eat me! I try to stand as far away from them as I can! The outdoor seating area is very quaint and cute. Not good for when it rains, but is lovely in the sunshine.
Overall, I guess I have mixed feelings about this place, but I will go here every so often if a special looks good. I just have to remember to go early so I can actually order a special without it being sold out!

Plain old lunch spots just don’t cut it for me. I’m looking for something to call home about. Caffe Grazie has that spark I’m looking for. Maybe it’s the eclectic decorations, or the red plaid table covers and the setback and sunken seating area that helps transport you far far away from your Downtown office and into some New York or Parisian restaurant, or maybe it’s the bread Nazi server (you must not waste your bread if you want the free bread they include with your order or else — you ever wonder who those mannequins were before they became the restaurant guards in their unique costumes?) that attracted my attention. Maybe its because you can escape to Caffe Grazie during your lunch break and watch the romance movie playing on the flat screen.
If the decoration and environment hasn’t caught your attention yet, then let me tell you about the food. This little hidden gem serves up salads, sandwiches and paninis, coffee drinks, and gelato! The salads, sandwiches and paninis are good.
*The eggplant in the parmesan isn’t fried or breaded.
*Cheeseburger panini is really a paninied cheeseburger.
*The .5 salad .5 sandwich is a decent portion.

To be honest, I have only tried one thing from this place, the pesto pasta. And I have to say, it is as good as everyone says it is. The garlic and basil are not too overpowering. Blended with the mushrooms, chicken and cheese, it was just right.
The portion is huge for a regular plate! When I opened up my plate, my friends were surprised. There are not a lot of places that give food that looks as much as it would cost and more.
The only thing I would have to knock off a star for is the salad. It was a great mixed salad only I didn’t get much dressing. But what i could taste, was awesome. I got the caesar, and it was creamy with a hint of spice.
Love the décor! It was fun looking with all the mannequins.
I will have to go back to try something else and to eat one of the gelatos or sorbettos!

The food was excellent and affordable for a quick lunch break. Most people order take out, but I had the day off so I got to relax under the shades provided by the lovely trees in the tiny courtyard.
This café is quite interesting with mannequins promoting New York’s Italian life style. It’s intriguing and odd because they have figurines hanging from the mannequins like Superman, Peter Pan look alikes and it made me just want to stare in awe. There were mini flat screen TVs playing 1920s shows and music, all located near the mannequins too.
There is parking right in Queen street building, however it’s $ 10. So do what we did and park at the Aloha Tower and pay $ 3. We ended up getting dessert at Gordon Biersch and they were kind enough to validate our stay and so technically parking was free. This quick short stroll from Aloha Tower was not a big deal. It’s downtown, so there’s no getting away with free parking. Well under $ 20 for this lunch meal, we forked up the rest for parking.
Now onto the food that made this place so worth the trip. My husband ordered the chicken breast panini, and I ordered the chicken breast pesto. Both came with a side salad and mine came with an sliced whole wheat bread (roll). The bread looked more like a baguette, but it was so fresh and fluffy, I would probably ask for it to be used in place of the panini next time.
Oh, the pesto sauce with garlic pieces just made my mouth water. Not so earth friendly, the food was served in styrofoam to go boxes. However, It didn’t take away the fact of how delicious the dish tasted. The Italian dressing that came with the salad had a hint of horseradish, some spices and it was divine. The chicken chunks were mixed in with artichoke hearts and the large portion was a perfect lunch size meal for me.
It was a lovely day off to enjoy a bit of Downtown.

I always passed by Caffe Grazie, but never bothered to eat here until a friend wanted to meet there. For a healthy pasta or sandwich type of meal, the ingredients are fresh, and the price is reasonable:
Eggplant Parmesan — 4 stars — For $ 8.50, they give a lot, but it’s just cheese on top of eggplant, as depicted on my picture. The sauce is very different, with a light sweet wine taste, which was flavorful and blended just right. Comes with salad, and a wheat bread. I was disappointed when I saw my friend’s mini pasta because it looked about the same amount of pasta for $ 2 less. Now I know to just buy the mini,
Mini Pesto Pasta — 4 stars — For $ 6.50 you get a good serving of pasta. I think this is everyone’s favorite. Not oily, and tastes pretty good. Comes with salad and a wheat bread.
My friends also ordered a veggie burger, which he said tasted pretty good.
Service — 4 stars — seating is outside, and they actually serve the plate to you if you sit outside. A very convenient place to eat in the downtown business district, though, it’s very windy in the seating area, and we had to hold down our plates and napkins from blowing away.
They also have a customer frequent card, which gives them another plus.

All I can say is really quick service. I always pass by here when going to lunch but always wondered how the food was. The interior doesn’t seem like they sell food but it looks like more of a antique store. They serve american/​italian/​asian food like pasta, panini, and even chinese chicken salad! The owners are Korean and they are very fast. There is a system where they already have the pre printed menu and all they do is circle your choices. You can help your self with water at the fountain.
The food is a bit pricey (around $ 8-​$ 9) but for the portions they give you it is totally worth it. I ordered the chicken Alfredo pasta. It came with mixed greens (oriental) dressing, a piece of bread (wheat), and the chicken pasta. Did I mention it was huge? hehe ^_​^
The worse part of the meal was the bread it was old and tough. Not fresh at all. The pasta and salad was okay, not the best. But I would come back here to try the ice creams and coffee as the other Unilocal reviewer says.

Many many thanks, Caffe Grazie, for your diligent postings of your daily specials and always updating your menu items on your website so that I’m not standing in line annoying my friends (and other hungry downtowners) with the decision (or rather indecision) of whether I should get a menu item or a daily special.
If I had to choose one starry item off their heavenly menu to call my favorite, I think my default favorite is the chicken alfredo pasta (no wait, maybe the Mullberry Street panini or the Italian Sausage & Chicken Breast pasta). Their pastas and paninis are anything but run of the mill. The guys and gals at Caffe Grazie revamp many «common Italiano» recipes seen in a lot of places alike and truly make it their own. I really enjoy their creamy pastas because they aren’t over zealously rich (stay-​near-​a-​bathroom paranoia) or cautiously bland, and they strike that perfect flavor-​balance for me. With that kind of sauce, it really doesn’t matter to me what kind of pasta you lather it on.
Next Grazie-​to-​do is to try their breakfast items. Their coffee is delish!
Carry on Caffe Grazie, like your décor, I think you’re fabulous inside and out.

Good option if you’re in the mood for Italian downtown. It’s nothing mindblowing but if you’re looking for huge pasta portions for $ 8 – 9, then you’re at the right place.
I got the bolognese that came with a roll and salad. They give you a TON of pasta. Same for my husband’s shrimp alfredo that also came with a roll and salad. I think this place is good is you’re looking for quantity over quality.
I wouldn’t mind coming back for the sandwiches!

First off, Marco is the man!!! =D
Grazie Caffe is my number 1 Favorite place to eat in Downtown!
Everyone who works here is very friendly and nice to their customers. The food is very delicious and the portions are very generous. I usually order the panini sandwiches because i love the combination sandwich ingredients they chose to put together. Each panini comes with salad and your choice of dressing, (I recommend the ceasar) all for between $ 7 — $ 9
I’ve ordered the pasta once and the portions for the pastas are huge! I had about ¹⁄₃ of my pasta and i was full. It did make a good meal later in the day tho… =) The pastas also come with salad and i believe the lasagna comes with a bread roll as well.
My two favorite paninis are the Mulberry Street and the Chicken Breast AA+++ =)

So I was downtown for an all day work thing and my friend and I were trying to decide where to eat lunch. Luckily, I remembered Virginia C’s review of this place and suggested it.
I think it was a good call! I had the Mulberry St panini which had 2 or 3 different deli meats, cheese, lettuce, and a pesto sauce. All paninis come with a salad and your choice of dressing. I chose their home made (I think) Italian dressing. My friend got the chicken pesto panini & also chose their Italian
sandwich was soo good! It had the right balance of meat, cheese, & pesto! The salad was a simple one, but the dressing made all the difference! It was strong in flavor, especially garlic (which I love!) — so that was a win for me! My friend also enjoyed her panini and salad.
I can’t wait for another boring work thing downtown so I can come back here for lunch… maybe even breakfast!

Maybe I’m overly fond of this downtown lunch spot because it’s only three floors down from the office where I work. To be honest, the food here is not perfect; there have been things I’ve ordered here that I would not order again (and things I’ve binged on three days in a row and will NEVER order again).
I think the underlying appeal of Caffe Grazie is that it deludes you into thinking your $ 8 lunch was well spent on restaurant-​quality food, in a restaurant setting. While most downtown office minions will order food for takeout, Caffe Grazie does have this quaint, breezy, outdoor seating area which qualifies it as a semi-​restaurant, rather than just a walk-​by takeout place. And, enjoying a vegetable panini or spaghetti Carbonara on red-​checkered tablecloth under the shade of a tree is certainly a nice reprieve from eating at the paper stack you call a desk, fearfully taking bites of pasta, hoping not to splash sauce on the PC screen, while being simultaneously assaulted with mundane inquiries from The Man on your one-​hour lunch break.
Not me, though. My boss is nice.
Pasta Venezia, «Seafood in a Tomato, Finocchio and Galliano Sauce», is also nice. On the third straight day though, I just couldn’t see it anymore for the rest of my life. But do order it once! All pastas come with a nice side salad and happy bun.
The owner, Marco, is very animated, and I adore his round spectacles. He makes a great effort to remember your name, and will try to flatter you as only males with European roots can (I fail to see how my monosyllabic Chinese name is «beautiful», but alrighty), although he is Asian.
Oh oh! This place has the most delectable gelato, which is sourced from a local Gelato maker. Ginger flavor is my favorite, and Marco has the forethought to keep a checklist of what flavors he has in stock, so as not to disappoint.
I’m somewhat disturbed by the mannequins in this place; they are «crafted» from the most sundry items imaginable: coke bottles, old brooches, teddy bears, human hair etc. I’ve often fantasized that Law and Order SVU could film a «we’ve stumbled upon the abode of the rapist and omg he is disturbed» scene here. I would shun all my office duties and run down to Caffe Grazie, just to see Olivia and Elliot in action!
And we could all eat gelato after…

Caffè Grazie was a welcome find for me.
Three of us went downtown for lunch on Friday and it was a gorgeous day in the shade dappled courtyard where you sit to eat your lunch.
I ordered the eggplant panini and it was a very nice sandwich indeed. Eggplant cooked just right, not squeaky, not mushy. Bright red peppers in the sandwiche were also welcome, making it a nice change from the usual greasy meat sandwich. A little side salad with vinaigrette. It was light, but filling. Needed just a grind of salt to wake it up. The vinaigrette could’ve used just a touch salt, too.
Buddy had the lasagna and I took a pinch to sample and it was really good.
The soup du jour was a 3-​mushroom crème soup. It was hearty and thick and very filling, but not overpowering like you were chewing on a forest floor. Took our appetites away to the point we almost didn’t have dessert.
They have a large assortment of gelato. At least a dozen flavors. I had blueberry and got the black thingies in my teeth; always an attractive look. Buddy had the lychee and it was impressively strong on the lychee flavor.
The drinks are in a chill case and the usual boring Coke, Diet Coke, Green Tea, but we spotted two bottles of Pellegrino in there and snagged both bottles for something special to drink.
Party of 3 with sandwiches, soups, salads, specialty water, and gelato came to about $ 38.
We three enjoyed our lunch at this little place hiding behind the main post office on Queen St.
Parking is the dicey part. I got a street meter in front of the YWCA, but the max on the meter was 1 hour, at a pricey 10 minutes per 25¢. Buddy #3 made out better parking on Punchbowl and walking in.

Went here because 1) it’s National Hot Dog Month and 2) it was in the Weekly Unilocal newsletter. «Bacon Cheese Chili Dog»? I’m there.
Looking for it wasn’t too hard with the help of Google Maps. It’s pretty much the only eatery in that specific area behind the Downtown Post Office (
). On the ocean side of Queen, it’s set back from the street and you have to walk down the handicap ramp or stairs into it.
I would describe the décor as «eccentric old mansion» style. It has slightly dark and rich colors lighted by several chandeliers. The insides remind me of the OSF (
), but a ton more fun and glitz added to it. In addition to the chandeliers, there are little Barbie dolls and themed manikins greeting you. Some of the people working there also fit with the theme quite well. The eating area is outside on cement and folding tables that have tablecloths. Kind of European-​ish.
I didn’t get the vibe from their website that it was just a Italian pasta joint. It’s more of a sandwich place. Of course though, I got the Bacon Cheese Chili Dog which was just under ($ 5) and added chips and a soda to that for an extra $ 2.25. Honestly, I don’t think adding the small bag of Lays chips and a soda was worth the extra, but whatever floats your boat.
The no casing hot dog was boiled on a average bun. It was a good 6 – 7 inches of hot dog. It tasted alright. The whole thing was slathered in chili that was similar to the one served at Zippy’s. Melted cheese covered the top. It’s definitely something that you need to eat with a fork and knife. The best thing about it was the bacon. It had really good slices of bacon in it. Just the right sized and cooked so it wasn’t too soft or too hard. Overall, I would get it again, but after I tried some of their other sandwich menu items.
It’s mainly a downtown workday eatery, so if you’re in the area it’s a nice place to walk down to and have something to eat. Follow them on Twitter @graziehawaii for their daily specials.

**gem in downtown!!**
I was totally craving something with fattening goodness on a Friday afternoon and lunch from Caffe Grazie completely satisfied my craving!
I had the daily special pasta which was roasted vegetables with penne in marinara sauce and comes with salad & a roll — $ 8.50. They were very generous with the veggies (eggplant & zucchini) which were cooked and seasoned just right… very tasty and juicy! Just the way I like it!
They also serve a variety of paninis and sandwiches (you can choose your bread), salads and pasta. I also saw hamburger steak with gravy and meatloaf on the menu. If you still have room after a sumptuous meal or just have a sweet tooth like me, they’ve got GELATO in a bunch of flavors. Yum!
Aside from the yummy foods, walking into Caffe Grazie is like stepping into Little Italy. You’ll be greeted by mannequins adorned in jewels, vintage Barbies hanging from their GELATO sign, Audrey Hepburn shrine, walls covered with picture frames and three chandeliers top it off. There’s also a courtyard area for you to enjoy your lunch.
I also love that they post their daily specials on Twitter for quick access.
Ciao!

After reading some reviews on Unilocal,I had high expectations for this place. When looking at the menu, I was expecting alot more pasta options based on it being pegged as an Italian eatery and Unilocalers writing about pasta. Instead, they offer more paninis, hot dogs, and salads so I was a bit disappointed. Maybe i’m just biased because I’m not so big on the paninis.
Anyway, the day I went they had two specials: (1) Lasagna served w/​tossed salad and garlic bread ($ 8.50); and (2) Grilled Chicken Breast Monterrey (w/​bacon, tomato, avocado, & swiss cheese) served with rice and tossed salad ($ 8.50).
So I’m at the counter and it’s the moment to make that difficult decision of «WTF should I eat?» I was leaning towards the lasagna; however, the female at the counter told me that they always serve that and not the chicken monterrey. What solidified my decision was when my BFF (Best Foodie Friend) told me that the chicken looked sooooo good. In the end my friend ordered a salad and I ended up ordering the chicken monterrey and the lasagna (ala carte) to share (yeah right — I am such a pig!). Total damage to my wallet was roughly $ 13.50.
My expectations were pretty inflated and it soon deflated after a few bites. The chicken was alright despite the extra stuff on it (I thought bacon made everything fantasticle?). It really looked better than it tasted. As for the lasagna, I did enjoy it but it was nothing to tell the Godfather about. I didn’t try my BFF’s salad, but it didn’t look that exciting. It was basically a clump of tuna on a bed of greens.
Overall, my BFF gives this place 2.5 stars. I on the other hand give it 3 stars. The place is cute and the outside seating area is a draw for those who work in the Downtown Honolulu area (not so good if it is super windy). The staff is friendly and prices are reasonable. Although my food experience satiated my hunger but not my palate, I wouldn’t mind giving this place another chance to get that extra star or two.

After a couple of months of eating at Caffe Grazie, this eatery is now a 5 star in my book.
Caffe Grazie, although defined as an Italian joint, has ceased to amaze me on how each and every one of their daily specials are nothing short of excellent. Along those lines, they offer a variety of daily specials that seem to never repeat (that could be bad if you find something you really like). From dry rub chipotle ribs to pasta, Grazie can do it all, and do it well.
Customer service is always superb, and their staff is very friendly. How can you not be slightly amazed after the owner has memorized your name after just 1 visit?

I was expecting Caffe Grazie to be a pasta place, which it definitely isn’t, as it turns out. I was there at around 1:15 p.m. today during lunch and for pasta, all they had for pasta were spaghetti and meatballs. This was their pasta special and I ordered the last one as the guy after me wanted it to and they told him «no dice.» Actually that shouldn’t be in quotes as he didn’t say that exactly.
The setting was nice as there are lots of classic italian looking pictures all over the place, as if to replicate Buca di Beppo. Maybe it was all contrived. They have a nice outdoors lanai which is underneath the sidewalk area on Queen Street near the HGEA building.
The guy taking my order I believe is the owner/​manager of the place. He is a Korean dude named Marco who said he lived in Italy. He had horned rimmed glasses which was very Euro looking.
Anyway, the spaghetti was decent — they were the flat noodles that seemed more like linguine, which I like. The sauce was thick and hearty as well as the 4 medium sized meat-​a-​ballsa. It also came with a mixed green salad and a slice of plain sourdough bread.
For spaghetti, though, the $ 8.50 price was a little over the top as it’s just spaghetti even with 4 meatballs. I would say it’s a little better than Catania up at Remington College but Catania serves you choke food for like $ 5 – 6. I remember that little café on Alakea, Eighth Note was it, served the best spaghetti basilico pomodoro. But this spaghetti was actually even better than the bad stuff they serve now at Spada and Che Pasta. I’ll try the other stuff on the menu next time.

For those of us who work downtown, there is a plethora of food choices for lunch. What many people don’t see is the small places outside of Bishop Square or Fort Street Mall. Often times, the lure is the short lines and cheap prices. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a place with both. as well as dang good food! One of these places is in the 345 Queen Street building — it’s called Caffe Grazie, and it simply makes me salivate. I eat there 3 – 4 times a week and I have not had one item that I don’t LOVE.
I stopped by today to check out the specials, thinking that I wouldn’t get anything considering my hunger level at 11:20am was minimal. Then I saw today’s special:
Sauteed Mahi Mahi with Artichoke Hearts, Bacon and Tomatoes in Butter Sauce on a bed of linguine, served with a Roll and Tossed Salad– $ 7.95. I caved and OMG it was GOOD! The butter sauce had just the right amount of lemon to add that extra kick. The Mahi was lightly breaded with a hint of herbs.
The occasional Lasagna speacial (also $ 7.95) is just like how mom used to make it. Homemade, cheesy, beefy, hot and steamy, all with nalo greens tossed salad and their balsamic vinagrette dressing and a roll.
They have good sized paninis (pesto chicken with mushrooms and provolone; grilled eggplant with roasted peppers, provolone and sundried tomato pesto), bacon chili cheese dog, GENEROUS sized salads (the greek salad is loaded with kalamata olives and feta cheese, tomatos, and red onions). Salmon burger — YUM! Oh and they also have gelato from La Gelateria (locally made) for desert.
This place serves breakfast too (7 – 9:30, I think). I recommend the 3 egg omlette with bacon, spinach, parm cheese, toast… or the classic croissant sandwich with bacon, egg, and cheese… mmmm…
The décor? So cool! Personally decorated by the owners. Look at the photos. Check out the website for the daily specials and the full menu:
, and happy eating! Open 7am-​3pm, 521‑8820, major credit cards accepted.

At the owner’s (Jim) prompting, my friend and I went back to give Caffe Grazie another shot. OK, so I was going to go back anyway — but his response to by post prompted me to go back sooner.
We were pleased to find a couple of what we consider improvements over our last visit! While, unlike my friend, I am not convinced that I have personally affected changed in the word, I was pleased to see that my friend’s pasta special was made with penne and came with a roll rather than untoasted focaccia. She said it was definitely better than the pasta last time — though, again, we did like the pasta sauce at our last visit.
At Jim’s suggestion, I tried the grilled veggie sandwich on a hoagie (the bread choice was at the suggestion of the cashier). Yum! Definitely one of my top three grilled veggie sandwiches on-​island. It’s messy — these things always are — so grab extra napkins! Really good stuff with a really substantial portion of eggplant. I was also very pleased with the accompanying generous portion of potato salad, which was flavored with pickle juice — one of my favorite flavors for potato salad!
Thanks to Jim for the suggestion and for paying attention to what the customers have to say! It’s this kind of commitment to customer service — as well as the great food — that will keep me coming back.